Su-35-2 No. 902
Militaryparitet was kind enough to highlight the June issue of Vzlet (Взлёт) and current information on the Su-35S. The Defense Ministry contracted with Sukhoy for 48 Su-35S during MAKS-2009.
Vzlet says the first Su-35S arrived at the Akhtubinsk State Flight-Test Center on May 28 to begin state joint testing (GSI or ГСИ).
The Su-35S-1 was assembled this spring, and made its first flight from the factory airfield on May 3. It made seven acceptance flight tests by mid-May.
GSI will determine its preliminary correspondence to basic requirements, and its potential for serial production for combat units.
Prototypes Su-35-1 (No. 901) and Su-35-2 (No. 902) first flew in 2008, and these export versions completed factory testing, fully meeting stability and maneuverability requirements, power plant parameters, and basic onboard system operations, according to Vzlet.
The Su-35S has a digital information-command system, Irbis long-range phased array radar (capable of tracking 30, and attacking 8 air targets, as well as tracking 4, and attacking 2 ground targets), and thrust-vectored 117S engines.
Interfaks reports KnAAPO has built two Su-35S, and a third flew in May. KnAAPO will build three more for GSI in the second half of this year, a source told the news agency.
Back in April, Periscope2 cited a Kanwa military source in Moscow who claims some Su-35S will go to the 6968th Air Base in Komsomolsk-na-Amure. Basing them close to the factory will simplify maintenance. The source also says the first Su-35S will be received in 2012.
This winter the VVS was still saying 48 Su-35S will be put into two or three regiments, but a number of sources have said more will be purchased.
Russian Defense Policy 